Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill
I move, That the Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill be now read a third time.
On 17 December 2025, Mr Stafford, the trustees of Te Here ā Nuku Trust, and the Crown signed an agreement to settle the long-running private law Stafford v Attorney-General litigation, also known as the Nelson Tenths case. The agreement was signed here at Parliament, and it symbolically marked an important shift: Mr Stafford’s case was no longer in the domain of the courts. The parties have settled it, and now turn their eyes to Parliament to give effect to aspects of their agreement.
Today, the third reading of this bill marks another important shift. As the work of this House nears an end, the original promise of the Nelson Tenths nears realisation. Even while we debate in this Chamber in the depths of a Wellington winter, across Cook Strait, the days lengthen and dawn brings an air of aspiration and ambition. We once again have many trust representatives who have travelled to Parliament for this occasion, from across the strait and elsewhere, including Mr Rore Stafford. I welcome you to Parliament and I acknowledge those watching from other places around the motu. Tēnā koutou katoa.
I acknowledge Mr Stafford for his dignified persistence throughout this process. This year marks 40 years of Mr Stafford’s advocacy for the Nelson Tenths cause, including 15 years engaged in private law litigation. I also acknowledge Mr Stafford’s whānau and supporters, who have played a role over the last 40 years. It was a real honour to greet Matua Stafford and his whānau and supporters at Pipitea Marae around 3½ hours ago, alongside members of, I think, all our parties in the Parliament. To the trustees of Te Here ā Nuku Trust, tēnā koutou. As I remarked at the marae, the trustees represent the next generation of descendants, who will now build on the legacy and the vision of their ancestors. I especially acknowledge the trustees that negotiated the resolution agreement with the Crown and worked together to finalise the bill: Kerensa Johnson, Jamie Tuuta, Hēmi Sundgren, and George Stafford.
As I think many members of the House know, the Nelson Tenths case has a long and important history. The beneficiaries of the trust know this case well, as it is etched into their whakapapa. The courts have also acquainted themselves with this history. In 2010, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court both carefully detailed it at length in long judgments, and the High Court has now done so twice. At the first reading of this bill, I highlighted some of the history. This showed that Parliament too has a role in the acknowledgment of our nation’s history; indeed, the work we do here must be grounded in history. The physical reminders of this are all around us in this grand old House. I want to spend a bit of time in my speech today looking to the future, and that is Parliament’s most important and distinct role in our constitutional arrangements. When we make laws, they continue into the future, and that is the most valuable gift this House can offer the beneficiaries of the trust.
Briefly, on the history: from 1845, the Crown became responsible for contractual promises made by the New Zealand Company to the customary owners of land in and around Nelson, Golden Bay, and Tasman Bay. Those promises were part of the deal that led to the establishment of Nelson—and I acknowledge the MP for Nelson, Rachel Boyack. First, the land that the customary owners occupied would be excluded from the deal. Secondly, a tenth of the remaining land would be reserved for the benefit of them and their descendants—this was the Nelson Tenths. This reflected a shared vision of settlers coming to live amongst the customary owners. We need to state for the record that New Zealand’s colonial Government failed to keep the promises made to the customary owners. This was contrary to the rule of law, respect for property rights, and the law of trusts and equity.
In 2024, the High Court found that, based on these promises, the Crown held land on trust for the descendants of the customary owners, and had done so ever since 1845. This signalled to our Government that working together to resolve the case was simply, in the words of my predecessor the Hon Judith Collins—who I acknowledge in the House today—the right thing to do, and I pay tribute to her leadership, as the former Attorney-General, for helping to resolve this issue. With Mr Stafford and his supporters, a resolution agreement was negotiated, which this Government was proud to agree to in December 2025. As I say, that brought to an end 15 years of litigation, it vindicated property rights, and it also allowed the Government to continue to deliver on its priorities in the top of the South Island.
From December last year, the resolution agreement has already bound the parties. This bill is not required to give effect to the main components, but, rather, to give effect to some aspects of it, and to remove legal obstacles from its practical workability. The ownership of the trust land has already been determined by the courts and recognised through the agreement. The Crown has paid the trust for the shortfall in that trust land and the loss to beneficial use of it over the last 180 years. The judgments from the courts and the agreement negotiated and signed by the executive neatly illustrate the respective roles of those two branches of government. What this bill will achieve for the future workability of the agreement is an equally good demonstration of Parliament’s role as one part of that trio.
The primary purpose of the bill is to provide for the transfer of legal title to the trust land from the Crown to the new trustees of Te Here ā Nuku Trust. The Crown has come to appreciate in the last two years that it holds land on trust for the descendants, and it has no desire to hold it any longer. While the agreement and this bill are about realising the original promise of the Nelson Tenths, today the Crown can look beyond the ideas of our colonial predecessors. The historical arrangement of the Crown holding land for the benefit of customary owners reflects a dated, paternalism from the 19th century. In 2026, we are pleased for the trustees to take the title and responsibility for their own land. The trustees have deep connections to the trust land and its history, and with their range of experiences, they are the right people to look after it into the future on behalf of all beneficiaries. What that future holds is ultimately for the trustees and their people, and the Government looks forward to seeing it unfold.
The Finance and Expenditure Committee heard submissions that the agreement and the bill together provide for an intergenerational opportunity, especially in terms of the reconnection of people to place. The committee heard, also, how this notion is reflected in the trust’s new name, Te Here ā Nuku. The trustees explained that this name speaks to the reconnection of the descendants to the land and, through that, the connection of the generations who carried this cause historically to the generations yet to come. It was very moving this afternoon to hear Mr Stafford talk about how this case was always about the future, always about the descendants yet to come and yet to come after that. The trust endowment will provide a foundation for identity and opportunity, and the compensation already paid under the agreement, together with the transfer of title to the trust land, should ensure that the foundation is deep rooted and durable.
It is worth noting that the nature of the trust land is unique, previously held by the Crown for Government purposes—in many cases, for a long time. That has meant the Crown and wider New Zealand have come to have their own kinds of interests in some of the land. Historically, these respective interests have become entangled. It’s been unfair and untidy. The bill reflects that, after all these years, some of these respective interests cannot be completely severed but they must be set out cleanly in law, with the starting point that the land is trust land. The bill therefore provides for future arrangements so that some trust land may continue to be used for conservation, reserve, education, or other Government purposes. For example, we’ve reached agreement regarding public access to and enjoyment of important areas and reserves, including a seamless transition.
There is not enough time in a third-reading speech to express all of the history and all of the hopes and foundations for the future, but I would like to conclude by repeating what I said at Pipitea Marae today, which is that this case and its resolution and its settlement represents Parliament at its best, unanimously coming together to vindicate property rights and the rule of law. Frankly, with 80-odd days to go until the election—and we just heard a robust back and forwards about various aspects of that—it’s Parliament acting at its best, and I think we could all do with a bit more of that.
Mr Stafford’s case has been one concerning land, promises, and persistence. We are proud to resolve it on behalf of the Crown. The fact that the Crown can now enjoy a moment of pride at this stage of a long and sometimes bitter history of the Nelson Tenths is a great credit to two things: the dignity, humility, and persistence of Mr Stafford and the customary owners; and, secondly, the capacity of New Zealand, with our systems of law and our Government, to genuinely look to the wrongs of the past and vindicate rights in the present, and forge a just and durable future.
To Mr Stafford, your whānau and supporters: it’s a privilege to host you here for the passage of this important piece of legislation. Please carry the words and best wishes of this House with you as you go forward into a new day for your land and your people. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Hutia te rito
Hutia te rito o te harakeke
Kei hea te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau
He aha te mea nui?
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
Māku e kī atu
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata, hī!
[Pull out the shoot,
Pull out the shoot of the flax bush
Where will the bellbird sing?
Say to me
What is the greatest thing?
What is the greatest thing in this world?
I will say
The people! The people! The people!]
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It is a privilege to stand in this House at the third reading of the Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill. I begin by acknowledging the descendants of the original customary owners of the Nelson Tenths, the trustees of Te Here ā Nuku, kaumātua, whānau, and all those who have carried this kaupapa across generations. To those seated in the gallery and watching from the Beehive theatrette and online: greetings. Today is the result of persistence, determination, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
For those of us who represent Te Tau Ihu in this House, this bill is deeply personal. The history we are discussing today is not abstract. It is a history written across the landscapes we know so well—Te Tai-o-Aorere, Mohua, Whakatū, the Waimea Plains, and the bays, rivers, and whenua that generations of whānau have remained connected to despite every obstacle placed in their path. The story of the Nelson Tenths is woven through our region and through the lives of people who never stopped fighting for recognition of a promise that was broken.
The expectation was that one-tenth of the land would be reserved by the Crown for the customary owners and their descendants. That promise was not honoured. That promise was broken. Over time, much of the land that should have remained available to whānau was lost. The impacts of those decisions have been felt across generations.
This bill follows years of litigation and advocacy. It follows the landmark findings of the courts and the resolution agreement signed in December 2025. Most importantly, it follows the determination of whānau and leaders who refused to accept that injustice should simply be left unaddressed. I want to acknowledge those individuals who have played a significant role in this journey, and I’m going to mention one person, otherwise I risk getting in trouble for not reaching everyone. That is Rore Stafford, and the many others alongside him who devoted years and, in some cases, decades to pursuing justice. That work from Mr Stafford has ensured that future generations will inherit not only recognition of what occurred but also a foundation for the future.
It’s important I also acknowledge the role of Wakatū Incorporation in this kaupapa. Across generations, Wakatū has helped to hold the history of the Nelson Tenths, support the pursuit of justice, and keep alive the responsibilities and aspirations of the descendants of the original customary owners. Their leadership and stewardship have been central to ensuring this story remained visible, understood, and acted upon.
At its heart, this bill provides for the transfer of legal title and land from the Crown as former trustee to the Te Here ā Nuku Trust. It recognises what the courts found and what the Crown now has now acknowledged: that these lands and assets are held for the benefit of the descendants of the original owners. This legislation is, therefore, about more than administrative arrangements. It is about restoring the ability of descendants to exercise their rights and responsibilities through their own trust and governance structures. It is about providing certainty for the future, and it is about creating opportunities for generations yet to come.
I have spoken previously in this House about the importance of recognising the history of Te Tau Ihu honestly. We cannot build strong communities if we ignore the grievances that continue to affect people today. Acknowledging those grievances and taking meaningful action to address them strengthens all of us. For Nelson, Tasman, and Mohua, this moment is significant. The descendants of the original owners have maintained their connection to these lands despite the many obstacles placed in their path. Their resilience has been extraordinary. The passage of this bill cannot undo the losses of the past, but it represents an important step toward making things right.
The bill also recognises the particular importance of Abel Tasman National Park, a place treasured by people across Te Tau Ihu and by visitors from around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world. I am aware there has been some inaccurate commentary in the public domain about what these arrangements mean. It is important to be clear: this legislation does not close the Abel Tasman to the public nor does it diminish the obligation to care for this extraordinary coastline. The arrangements acknowledge both the rights of the beneficiaries of Te Here ā Nuku Trust and the strong public interest in continued access, conservation, and careful stewardship. The Abel Tasman Coast Track and Tōtaranui campsite will continue to be available for the public, with bookings and access carrying on as normal under the agreed arrangements. The settlement agreement and the associated legislation recognised that justice for the descendants of the original owners can sit alongside the ongoing protection and enjoyment of places that are deeply valued by the wider community. But let me be clear: this land always has and always will belong to the trust.
I acknowledge the constructive work undertaken throughout the legislative process, including the consideration of submissions by the select committee and the engagement that has occurred to ensure the bill can effectively implement the resolution agreement. I acknowledge Crown Law and the officials across agencies, especially the Department of Conservation and Te Puni Kōkiri, who have supported this work with care, professionalism, and attention to detail. Finally, I acknowledge—and she’s here today—the Hon Judith Collins for her role in progressing this legislation through the House, and for the work undertaken to support the resolution being given effect in law. Thank you, Judith.
Today is a reminder to us all that justice can take far too long. The fact that this issue has persisted across generations speaks to the importance of Governments being willing to confront historical wrongs and work alongside communities to resolve them. The story of the Nelson Tenths is ultimately a story of endurance. It is a story of people who never gave up on what was promised to their tūpuna. It is a story of communities holding fast to their history, their identity, and their rights.
I’ll just go off-script briefly, because, when I was notified by the Attorney-General’s office last year about an upcoming meeting I’d been called to—that I couldn’t attend because I was under general anaesthetic—I had to send a staff member on my behalf and we had a bit of conversation about what we could be being called to. I said to people, “Please, please could it be that the Crown has settled the Nelson Tenths.” So I was very emotional and pleased that I’d been right in my guess, but also so pleased that this day had finally come. So thank you.
As this bill passes its final stage, I hope we reflect not only on the injustice that gave rise to it but also on the opportunities that now lie ahead. Te Here ā Nuku Trust will carry forward the aspirations of those who came before and support the wellbeing and advancement of future generations. Today is not just an important day in Parliament; it is an important day for Te Tauihu. It is an important day for the people of Whakatū Nelson, for the communities of Tasman and Mohua, and above all for the descendants of those whose rights were recognised through this resolution and now this legislation.
To the descendants of the original owners, many of whom are here today with us, to the trustees and to all those who have worked tirelessly to reach this day: thank you for your leadership, your perseverance, and your vision. Today is a day where we remember, we celebrate, and we move forward.
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ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): My understanding is that this call is going to be a split call—Steve Abel.
Kia ora, Mr Speaker.
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It’s good to see you in the gallery today for this third reading. It is a momentous day, and colleagues across the House have rightly acknowledged that. One of your kaikōrero in the wharenui today spoke of the Kumutoto Stream—I believe I’ve got that name right—that runs under the road to the sea here in Pōneke. We know the value of daylighting streams. Through this resolution, Te Here ā Nuku, you have daylit justice.
You have daylit justice for your people, but perhaps more profoundly, for the whole country, because, when justice is truly done, everybody benefits, including those who are dragged to the table unwillingly, including the Crown that has resisted and fought you for these decades. Through your determination and your persistence and your perseverance, you have brought us to a place of self-reflection, where the Crown itself says, “I want this justice too.” For that, we can but thank you as a Parliament and as a nation, because you have allowed us to reflect on ourselves and say, “What does honourable kāwanatanga look like, and what does it feel like?” It feels like doing the right thing. When justice is done for one, it is done for all.
Previous Governments were not able to see that. You’ll hear us in this House lament and deride and rage against this Government for its injustices against Māori, but here today, with this bill, we stand in unanimity and we recognise the intention and the goodwill that was expressed first through the former Attorney-General Judith Collins, and now carried over to the current Attorney-General, Christopher Hipkins, to bring justice to this Parliament—[Interruption] What did I call you?
Dan Bidois: Chris Bishop.
STEVE ABEL: Sorry, mate.
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): You got your Chrises mixed up.
STEVE ABEL: There are too many Chrises. Well, there’s one less now. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to go there. Christopher Bishop—my apologies.
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): The Hon Chris Bishop.
STEVE ABEL: The honourable.
Jenny Marcroft: Where were you?
STEVE ABEL: Where was I?
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): You were directing your speech to the Speaker, of course, and not using “you” so much.
STEVE ABEL: I was. I know we’re allowed to say some you’s. The special acknowledgment must go to Rore Stafford. I know many people have said that, but I also know that many have stood with him, and there are many here in the gallery today and that have passed on who should be acknowledged for their part in this long struggle.
I want to also reflect that some in the select committee process were anxious that this might lead to other injustices—people who have interests in the same rohe. It is my sincere hope that, in the spirit of seeking the best interests for the long term of all, that Te Here ā Nuku will find pathways to make this work for all.
I also want to reflect on the anxieties of Mr Nick Smith just briefly. I am certain that Te Here ā Nuku will do at least as good a job, if not a better job, of looking after the taonga species in those magnificent ecologies, of which they are the kaitiakitanga—I have no uncertainty of that. We certainly commend this bill to the House today. Kia ora, Te Here ā Nuku, Rore Stafford. It is a good day for Aotearoa New Zealand. Kia ora.
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The waiata I shared was a lament for all those who have gone before us and the generations that have passed waiting for justice. As the uri of Te Here ā Nuku, the Nelson Tenths, gather today for the conclusion of a really long and hard-fought, drawn-out process, it is our opportunity to acknowledge that we move too slow. We move too slow as a Government and as a country to understand the fraught nature by which Kāwanatanga has done harm in the past and has been matapiko in closing the door for generations to the pleas of the hau kāinga. Now, through your fight, we have finally come to a point where justice will finally be served.
It’s an acknowledgment of the Waitangi Tribunal claims; it’s an acknowledgment of evidence shared. The stories and the histories, now, are part of a public record that we might all learn the stories of our districts and our rohe, but also for the perseverance of those of our family elders, such as Pāpā Rore, who led out and continued, humbly, to say, “Now is the time. At what point are we going to be able to sit at a tēpu and see justice served?” You should not have had to go to the courts time and time again. You should not have to have done that buthe tauira koutou
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and so acknowledging Wakatū and supporting the waka but also he tauira koutou for the other Tenths across the motu, for you have fought the fight for your uri but taught us a really good lesson as well, so I share the same sentiments as my colleague Steve Abel,
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Thank you for your patience, thank you for your fortitude, and thank you also for your persistence in not allowing this issue to go away. It has been in this generation that justice is finally being served; acknowledging the trustees and the fiduciary responsibility that the new trustees will have on behalf of the descendants and the uri. It is now time to think about how do we maximise the opportunity, maintain those connections, and look for that brighter future for tomorrow. That’s the exciting part, finally—finally to be able to turn the page and close one door but open up the new opportunities for culture, for language, for heritage, for kaitiakitanga, because as iwi Māori we want to be good kaitiaki, and that will not be lost in what happens from tomorrow, as Te Here ā Nuku stands up and becomes the rightful kaitiaki of lands, assets, whenua,
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. This bill is the right thing to do after such a long and fraught history. Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill will pass today. May I take a moment to acknowledge Mr Rore Stafford for your tireless work that we’ve heard so much about; for your present, the past, and the future.
This bill ends and provides an outcome to a lengthy court proceeding that has been well transversed in contributions by members of the House. I also acknowledge the former Attorney-General, the Hon Judith Collins, who was in the House today, who took it by the chain—this final step—and the Hon Chris Bishop who’s sending it to the finish line. This bill will provide a framework that balances recognition and access, and, at the end of this year, my family will be enjoying the hospitality and the wonderful green and blues and oranges and yellows of Abel Tasman Great Walk. This is an end of decades of litigation, but a serious amount has been learnt from it. It’s a good example of Parliament implementing a negotiated legal settlement in a clear and orderly way, and the aranui of patience and justice that you have undertaken to get here; acknowledge everybody here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise on behalf of New Zealand First.
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To Wakatū Inc., haere. Ngāti Kōata, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa: haere, haere, haere atu rā. To Te Here ā Nuku: welcome to this House where you have been through such a long journey, and now you have arrived. To Mr George Stafford, respect. I see up there the Crown Law office; I just want to pay some tribute to you because you helped us that were in the Finance and Expenditure Committee to guide us through the nuances. It was very welcomed, because we pushed and we wanted the answers and you gave them to us and it allowed us to get to a place of unanimity in deciding on this bill. To Dame Patsy Reddy and Peter Tapsell, Crown negotiators, thank you for your hard work. To the Hon Judith Collins, thank you for shepherding the Nelson Tenths finally to this final stage. Thank you for that.
The bill formally recognises that the Crown has held approximately 3,250 hectares of land in trust for the descendants of the original customary owners in Nelson, Tasman, and Golden Bay since 1845. The bill transfers the legal title to these lands from the Crown to the trustees of Te Here ā Nuku Trust, who were appointed as replacement trustees by the High Court. It establishes ongoing management arrangements for the trust and that remains part of the Abel Tasman National Park and various public reserves, ensuring continued public access. We did notice also Steve Abel referring to the Mayor of Nelson having some reservations along those lines. Well, it does ensure that the Abel Tasman National Park Great Walk continues to operate via a mandatory 25-year licence back to the Crown.
During the process, we explored extensively settling third party rights that have arisen under Crown trusteeship. There was a lot to be discussed: the nuances of that, the nuances on long-term public access, the nuances on governance, even. I’m sorry to see that Huhana is not here at the moment because I remember a point during our discussion that Huhana and I looked across and we said, “Well, who’s going to be looking after this? There has been some discussion around who is in charge, who are the governors, and so on and so forth.” We looked at each other and we went, “Well, actually, that’s for Māori to decide. They’ll figure that out. We can step back.”
It was one of those times where we came together and transcended party lines. Today, and when historical errors are laid bare by our highest courts, we have the maturity as a nation to correct them. This is entirely human. It’s about resolution, it’s about property rights, it’s about justice, and most of all, for me, it’s about trust. After all, that is what a trust is supposed to do: it’s to build and hold trust into the future. New Zealand First is pleased to commend this restoration of justice and trust through this bill. We congratulate the hapū, the iwi, and Te Here ā Nuku Trust, Wakatū Incorporation for their long suffering and forbearance to get to here—140-odd years is exactly long suffering and forbearance in any regard, in any person’s understanding, but we will build trust and partnership into the future through the settlement of this bill.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa.
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): The next call is a split call, but, before that, if I can just remind members not to refer to the absence of another member as well. I know this is an important debate as well, and when you use “you” and “your”, you do bring the Speaker into the debate. As much as I don’t mind that, let’s try to keep that in Standing Orders.
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Today is not simply the third reading of a bill; it is a moment in history for the first time, a huge moment where we get to see something that has been 180 years in the making, to make things right. It’s a moment that was born out of promises made, obligations broken, w’enua withheld, and generations of our people who refused to give up.
The Nelson Tenths were part of the original arrangement for settlement w’enua that was to be reserved for the customary Māori owners and their descendants. That obligation was simply not honoured. The w’enua was diminished, mismanaged, and alienated, and our people were left to fight for what was already theirs.
For Matua Rore Stafford, that fight was 40-plus years. Governments have come and gone, Ministers have come and gone, Crown lawyers have come and gone, but Matua Rore has stayed. I spoke with Matua this morning. After 40 years of struggle, he said to me, “It’s quite exciting.”, and then he gave me the lesson that I think sits at the heart of this whole kaupapa for all of us as Māori: through the conflict, through the challenges, always stay focused on the kaupapa—not allowing the conflict to become bigger than the purpose, not allowing personalities to become bigger than the people, not allowing the pain of the struggle to make you forget why you started. Stay focused on the kaupapa, focused on the w’enua, focused on your uri, focused on the mokopuna still to come. His words to me this morning were “Me haere mātou.”—“We keep going.”
That is the story of this kaupapa. That is the story for te ao Māori. When the Crown did not listen, me haere mātou. When the w’enua was not returned, me haere mātou. When the courts seemed endless, me haere mātou. When the conflict was exhausting, me haere mātou—keep going. As someone who knows something of what it means to inherit displacement from w’enua—because the Crown’s decisions made generations ago do not remain in the history books. These kōrero live in the wealth of our tūpuna that they could not pass on. They live in the opportunities denied to our mokopuna. They live in the ache our people know when we look across the w’enua that belonged to our tūpuna. That is why the story of Matua Rore and Te Here ā Nuku moves and touches me so deeply, because it tells every uri of raupatu something really important: never mistake delay for defeat.
Matua Rore took his fight through the Crown’s own institutions, and, ultimately, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Crown owed enforceable fiduciary obligations to the customary owners. Today, the Crown finally returns w’enua to the people it belonged to. In 2025, after generations of failure, the Crown was removed as trustee. I just want you to think about that. The Crown was not simply told about its mistakes; it was removed as trustee. That is the scale of what has been achieved here. Today, through this bill, legal title is finally transferred from the formal Crown trustee to Te Here ā Nuku trustees, to be held and protected for ngā uri. That is what rangatiratanga looks like and feels like.
There is a lesson in this, yes, for Parliament too. At a time when the Crown obligations to Māori are being questioned and weakened elsewhere in our laws, Te Here ā Nuku reminds us of what happens when those obligations are treated as optional. The consequences do not disappear; they simply move to another generation and to the next, and eventually someone will put it right. I acknowledge the Hon Judith Collins—who actually looks much better, by the way—for her role in doing what is right. I will mihi to the right Chris—Bishop—for concluding in doing what is right.
Today belongs to ngā uri, to those who carried this before Matua Rore—to the late Hohepa Solomon; to the many, many w’ānau who endured the hearings, the appeals, the disappointment, and the waiting. Your persistence has given us all an example of what it means to stay focused on the kaupapa when the struggle becomes too difficult. That inspires me, because every mokopuna of raupatu wants the same thing. Today, we finally require the law to catch up with the truth.
So, Matua Rore, after 40 years, me haere mātou. To every uri carrying unfinished raupatu across this motu, me haere mātou.
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): Kua pau te wā.
[Time is up.]
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Nō reira, whānau, welcome. That’s a funny thing for me to say to you all here, but here we are—here you are. I want to take a little bit of time to just talk about the importance of what’s happening today and the importance of the work that our kaumātua have put in, not just for us but for all Māori in this country. I’m sure that many of our people in the public won’t quite understand that this settlement isn’t just another settlement and that this settlement actually doesn’t have anything to do with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This settlement is about this House upholding the depth and breadth of its own law, which it has managed to ignore, in this case, for 180-plus years—not just ignoring the nature and the obligatory nature and commitments of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kāo; the nature of ngā ture o tēnei Whare. That’s an important thing for us to understand, and that’s an important taonga for us to achieve and present to the rest of te iwi Māori.
So there’s a precedent being set, and it’s an important one. It’s so important that it deserves to be spoken about. We all know that the House has taken much—maybe glee, but definitely spent a lot of time ignoring its Treaty-based obligations, but, quite simply, ignoring its own obligations to the depth and breadth of its own law is quite a different thing, and here we are today having held them to account to the depth and breadth of that law.
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So, although those things are the nature of redress and settlement, this is a time for us to think about how we move that forward, and for us to have all our mokopuna here to see your kaumātua achieve this i tēnei rā—in this time—our young people, you remember what happened here. You remember that you were here; that you were here with your kuia, that you were here with your koroua, and then this example that has been achieved today is an example not only for us but for every hapū, whānau, marae across the country. Because the Crown, whether it be through the Tenths trust or any other mechanism that they used to settle this country, entered into the very same agreements based on the very same laws that, as I’ve said, are the depth and breadth of the mana of this House. They, too, deserve to be upheld. So [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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It’s indeed an honour to speak to this third reading of the Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill, and to look forward to the Royal assent that will be given shortly by the Governor-General to enact legislation that has been long-awaited for.
To the iwi and to the various marae that are represented here today: Whakatū and Onetahua, Waikawa, Tuamātene, Te Āwhina [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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and, no doubt, other marae and pā and wāhi tapu that now have been confirmed in the beneficial ownership of the descendants of the customary owners of the Nelson Tenths, but also, very soon, the legal ownership and the trustees of the Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust. We can use many terms and adjectives to describe Matua Rore, Auntie Lynne, and your pā harakeke, along with the many tūpuna, tipua, tāngata who have channelled us to this very moment. Whether or not its steadfast or determined, tenacious or gritty, resolute, obstinate, persistent, doggedness, granite, or indeed the backbone. But what I see is an absolute channelling of mana tangata channelling our mana tūpuna for the responsibility of mana whenua and, indeed, mana moana and the belief and the faith in our mana atua.
Over many years, we have witnessed the vacillation of this House and various officials throughout Governments, and, no doubt within the private and other communities, in Nelson, Tasman, and various other domains that have watched with great intensity where this mahi and where this matter has taken us. There’s been obstinate and blatant and dismissive behaviours for this claim, but we have come to this moment where we can pass the third bill, and, of course, see it enacted in due course.
I wanted to acknowledge Matua Rore and Whaea Lynne and your pā harakeke for being [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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for this kaupapa, and many others that are intersecting with this kaupapa. Not only you but others of course—some of whom have passed. Whether or not that was our whaea Eva Rickard, or Kahu Kōtua, or others that are still here with us today. I just wanted to acknowledge, in that opportunity, the various chairs and secretaries of the Wakatū Incorporation, and of course Te Kahui Ngahuru Trust.
I’ve had the great privilege of witnessing Uncle Rore age well over time with this matter. Actually, Uncle, you look better today than you did 15 years ago when I first met you with the concern. Maybe it’s just the nature of the moment and the wairua and the spirit that has channelled us here, but to know that this resolution is upon us and you have brought humility, dignity, and integrity to our kōrero. You’ve even bought a degree of—I wouldn’t call it sobriety, but a sombre mood is how Minister Bishop has described it to the House, after the early machinations of parliamentary rigour.
Auntie Lynne and the whānau who have stood alongside with, and for, the whenua for this kaupapa, for the pā and the waitapu, for the papa kāinga that were left behind and not even included and didn’t eventuate into Crown ownership. Places beyond that, like Te Maatu and Te Waikoropupū, Moturoa, and various other parts of the whenua there in Tauihu-o-te-Waka. And indeed, some of the land that has been looked after, but not owned by, Te Papa Atawhai—the Department of Conservation—over the past few years.
I wanted to pay special tribute and acknowledge the Hon Judith Collins in this Government, and indeed our party, that saw beyond some of the obstacles, the hesitancy, and the impatience of some of our colleagues and our forebears to dismiss this. I wanted to acknowledge the Hon Judith, with steel-capped stilettos, that ensured that this matter was prosecuted in the manner that not only befits the importance and the significance of the matters upon us but actually recognises the investment over time. [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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Judith, your adroit leadership and acuity in progressing this matter to its ultimate denouement. That has been followed by Minister Bishop, who was here earlier today with a pragmatic and practical approach to closing the matter out. One that, indeed, is not rooted in the article 2 rights that we often describe as rangatiratanga, but one that recognises that the rule of law, property rights that come with the form of democracy that we live with here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and one that absolutely recognises the separation of powers and what goes with it.
In the maxims of equity, of course, people come with clean hands and some that don’t do not receive equity. But Matua Rore, Whaea Lynne, and the various whānau and descendants of the customary owners have come with clean hands. Not only that; they have presented in a fair and reasonable manner. There were negotiations that preceded, and I’d just like to take the moment to acknowledge David Tapsell—I think someone said “Peter Tapsell” earlier on—but David Tapsell and Dame Patsy Reddy really have done an exemplary and excellent job in progressing the specifics of the resolution agreement, but also some of the nuances that go with the legalities surrounding the transfer of trusteeship from the Crown to other parties.
The spirit of the resolution is something that I think everyone in this House at this time—those who are here today and those who are apologies this afternoon—will retain, and, hopefully, engender more of, in future days ahead of us in Parliament in this term, but also Parliament and Government and future terms.
I wanted to pay special acknowledgment to the negotiators, to my elder statesmen Jamie Tuuta, George Stafford, and Hēmi Sundgren for your approach, for your multi-faceted personalities that helped curate and shape the resolution that we have today. But in particular, I want to acknowledge Kerensa Johnston [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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for her absolute momentum, for her aroha, and also for her love for Uncle Rore and Auntie Lynne, but her love for whenua and moana [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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This resolution, and the legislation that follows, brings together quite an unusual but spectacular intersection of tikanga and ture. [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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And it has been, in this instance, one that exemplifies and symbolises that pepeha, that proverb, of [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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In that moment, I just acknowledged some who have passed on, like Te Kepa Stirling and others, that young girl Greensill that passed on recently, and those members of the whānau.
It intersects tikanga and ture, and what I can see in the resolution that’s been reached, but also the bill that is passing through its third reading today, is that te tikanga o te ture—or the actual custom of law—has prevailed. That custom, in this instance, is not necessarily being the hard and sometimes terse common law but a mix of equity, negotiation, and, indeed, the Hon Collins, a touch of innovation.
With that, I wanted to acknowledge, finally, the members of this House who have collated today, who are gathered today, in a spirit of collegiality and whanaungatanga or, as we say at Ngāti Hauiti,
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To come and pass this through in a manner that even Willie Jackson must laugh at—it’s hard to get a laugh out of Willie. So, yes, indeed the taitara, or the legal title, will now transfer from the Crown, and that actually ensures that I’ve less issues, as the Minister of Conservation, trying to figure out if I owe duties to both the customary owners and also the Crown, but it preserves, upholds, and absolutely recognises that the ahikā of this land has never been cold, it has never gone out, it has never gone mātaotao, but indeed burns now and into the future eternally. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
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Some of us were looking forward to this, this afternoon, and some of us were going to give the Government a bit of a swipe here and there, and then Chris Bishop shocked us. He did the most fabulous speech at our hui this morning, and, well, that knocked us right over, and there goes the speech. He did a tremendous speech. I think we were all taken by that. He’s not here, so I want to acknowledge their kōrero because you wouldn’t have thought it was the same Chris Bishop, if you were watching question time, or the same Parliament. But I want to acknowledge his kōrero when he talked about unity in Parliament and doing things differently. I want to acknowledge Judith Collins over here. Well done—well done. It’s a shame it wasn’t us, but I do want to say that. I want to acknowledge you for your kaha. Well done, Judith. You are looking very stressless these days!
I say that sincerely to all the people here because I was thinking about this kaupapa, and Tama Potaka reminds me of it. He likes reminding me on the quiet that it was this Government that has put this kaupapa through, and, sadly, he’s 100 percent right. We should have done it five years ago. Kia ora, Paul Morgan. I could see you pointing at me, and you’re right. I will never forget when we, as a Labour crew, went into your office, Paul, and you presented—yourself and Kerensa, you two are just two of the unsung heroes. Your name’s not been mentioned too much today, Paul, because I think you’ve got a few raruraru, but I’ll mention it because you’re a great advocate for your people, and I’m sorry we couldn’t have done what we should have done. I’m sorry. It upsets me sometimes how—whether it’s Labour or National—we’ve always got to go back to court when you’ve got a clear case of justice—when you’ve got a clear case of justice—and our people fight on and on and on. Well done, Paul. Well done, Kerensa. It’s a shame—I shouldn’t say that, but, well, it came under Judith and Tama and Chris Bishop. The main thing is we’re there.
I wanted to tell the House that I was at the tangi last night, Uncle Kepa Stirling’s tangi—you mentioned Uncle Kepa—and we talked about this. We talked about this—we talked about this. At the hui, we were saying, “Wow, what a settlement for our people down there.”, and we talked about the analogy between Uncle Kepa and our koroua over here. Uncle Kepa Stirling lost three sons in one hit—one car accident. Gone—1986. Gone. You would have thought that would be the end of his life, but he soldiered on for the next 40 years and he built a school and he built our community. I was thinking about our koroua Rore—it’s the same type of thing. You just soldier on.
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I want to just remember Uncle Kepa now, and I commend him for his efforts and his life and his whānau, but also we keep mentioning Rore, but he is such a tauira in terms of where we should go in terms of te ao Māori. Well done to you e te rangatira because you are a great example of soldiering on and working with us. I thank you and I thank the people here today for not playing politics and just going forward.
This kaupapa is such a wonderful example—isn’t it, Judith?—of where we should be in this country. What saddens me in some ways is the lack of media interest right now in this kaupapa, but maybe that’s a good thing, because it just fires up people who think that $400 million is a huge amount of money to give to people. We know that if you really wanted to work out what the economic loss was and what the people should be getting, they’ll get five times that amount—won’t they, Judith? I get disappointed with the lack of media interest. There are no media people here apart from, I think, one reporter up there. This is significant. This shows that the very way Parliament has behaved is the way this country should behave in terms of Māori issues, in terms of kaupapa Māori. This kaupapa will benefit all the people down there. Their economy will thrive because of this investment in the people. It won’t be just Māori people who will thrive; the whole economy will thrive. All the people will feel the benefits of this settlement.
I just think that, when we were watching this morning and we saw the beautiful kōrero coming from Rore Stafford and Chris Bishop and us working together, this is an example of where we should be going in terms of this country. I have hope. We have hope when we see Parliament coming together like this and we remember the advocates. You were all here earlier, so you saw what was happening between the two sides, but maybe this settlement gives us hope in terms of where we should go as a Parliament and where we should go as a country. I just wanted to mihi to everyone here. What a journey. What a history. What a plan that’s going to be rolled out. I hope that we can work things out in terms of the various factions and that Nick Smith disappears with his petition altogether and doesn’t promote the nonsense that he is promoting, because our people can manage things. Our people can organise their things. Our people can be trusted with these types of settlements. They can be trusted. We do have a history. We’re not going to block or bar Pākehā from going into different areas, as is implied in Nick Smith’s petition. He’s a man who should know better because, at various times, he has been quite good in terms of support for kaupapa Māori. For some reason, he feels this need to come up with this stupid and idiotic petition, and we are where we are.
I want to mihi to everyone today who’s come here. This is a celebration for you all. This is a celebration for the House. Again, I acknowledge the other side and the negotiators and the different rōpū and my friend over here who has been a very, very strong advocate for you. It’s lovely to have this Pākehā woman being a great advocate for you. We’re really proud of her, and that’s what it’s about for us. It’s not just a Māori thing—it’s not just a Māori thing. It’s a partnership thing. That’s what we believe in in this party. That’s what most people believe in in this House. We can achieve this thing through partnership, through working together. So I’m really proud of the way we’ve come together to get where we are today.
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Thank you, Mr Speaker. [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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An emphatic welcome to all our visitors here today who have travelled to Parliament to witness and celebrate this historic correction and resolution. I had the privilege of attending Pipitea Marae earlier today with the mihi whakatau, which was awesome. There was a few speakers and one speaker, I believe, Manahi, started to speak and it was a great speech—not that I can understand fluent te reo, but I said to Willie, “Is it meant to be this long?” And he said, “Oh, it is going on a little bit long.” And then I heard the MC use the term “kōrero nui” and I was like, “oh, is that what a long speech means?” But then it could mean a “big speech”. But none the less, it was a great speech, and I’d say tino pai to that.
This bill gives effect to the agreement reached following one of the longest-running legal disputes in New Zealand’s history, transferring legal title from the Crown as former trustee to Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust.
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I also acknowledge and thank the Finance and Expenditure Committee, which I had the privilege of chairing in consideration of this bill, which went through with unanimous support. I can tell you it’s much easier chairing a committee when you have unanimous support and when everyone’s on the same page. The unanimity reflects the significance of what we are achieving here today. To be honest, the hard work was already done; as a committee, we just had to ensure that the legislation met the needs of the settlement. We had some good help from robust counsel and the legal team, which I can see some in the gallery here today. So thank you for your work and guidance as we went through this process as a select committee.
I’d also like to honour and acknowledge the Hon—this is quite a mouthful—Judith Collins, previous Attorney-General, for the work that she started and it’s great that she gets to see it come to fruition here today. It’s amazing that the work that we start continues beyond Parliament, and it’s an important legacy we continue. Of course, the Hon Chris Bishop, who you could tell was very proud of being at that ceremony today; and acknowledging the work and the cross-party support that we achieved. Kaumātua Rore Stafford and all your associates and whānau—I acknowledge you and your team.
Today, we acknowledge the past but, importantly, we look to the future. Although I gave a little bit of banter to a long speech, to be fair that was a pretty compressed ceremony that represents over 100 years of struggle. But the good news is today you’re not going to be compressed by time limits. Once this passes, you’re free to celebrate and dance and waiata for a long time to come. May today mark a new beginning, one of prosperity, wellbeing, and good health for all those connected to this historic outcome and for generations yet to come. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
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It is such an honour to stand here before you today. What I will always remember as a part of my career, is where we get to be here today to acknowledge 200 years of struggle, of battle for our history, of our kaitiakitanga, of rangatiratanga. And for you today to stand here accompanied by the young people who have come along, our mokopuna, our rangatahi, for whom this as a new day. [Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
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I want to make this speech to the young people who have come with you, to all of the young people I have seen gathering in Parliament in their school uniforms, to the young people who have come along with their parents. This is a day for you. When we talk about that new day which is dawning, there has been such a long struggle over a long night and we have lost so many on the way. But this is an opportunity to start something which is new and in your honour.
I was six years old when my kaumātua and kuia stood in the gallery for the passing of the Ngāi Tahu settlement. That was a day which I always remember because my iwi got to settle and then stand alongside me at every important moment of my life. Back in high school, I was able to reach out to my iwi to support me in getting a career; in university, as I was able to receive a scholarship which sent me to law school and then through a bachelor’s degree in commerce. I was able to work with my iwi, not only in the first commercial job that I ever had but with my aunties and uncles checking in on me in my lunch time, making sure that I was comfortable in a city that I had never lived in. I was also able to then take on work through connections of the iwi in the corporate world. I was then able to meet parliamentarians because my iwi supported me to do that. I was able to stand in this House and give my first speech in 2020 as a new MP wearing a korowai, looking up at an iwi who had supported me through every stage of it. When I had my babies, they received from my iwi a harakeke pēpi pod where they could sleep and be assured of the arms of hundreds of kaumātua and kuia who have gone before us, who supported them in the first stage of their life.
This is the most significant moment for so many uri who you have done this for. This is a moment where you have changed the history, not only for those who have come before you but for hundreds of people right now who will see this day and remember what you have done, and for thousands and thousands more who will benefit from it for a generation to come. Thank you for such a long struggle and thank you for coming here today to celebrate it with everyone.
I also want to speak to just how much this means for a region. You know, the incredible work that has been done here is nation-building stuff. It’s not only regional economic development, which will be incredibly significant for the region; it is also protecting a part of the country that is unparalleled in the world. It is beautiful. It is a system and an ecosystem which supports life that is unlike any other. The seabirds, the creatures that rely on your area are significant to the way that the world works. And for our young people to be able to see some of those species, it is imperative that you are able to reclaim that kaitiakitanga, which has always been yours, but the Crown has done its best job to interfere in. This is significant not only for you but it is significant for a region and all of the rangatahi who are watching today who need to be able to enjoy that special place. So when we reflect on what is being done today, I think about all of those people who rely on your work to be able to enjoy this region, which is important to us all.
I also want to acknowledge the Hon Judith Collins. It is right that there have been mihi in this House to her for fiercely advocating for this settlement. It is right that we acknowledge not only the National Party’s contribution to this but the importance of bipartisan commitment to those Treaty settlements and to legislation like this, which are genuinely innovative and mean that young people grow up supported by their iwi, by their hapū, by their whānau, and by something institutional which is bigger than all of that, by a Government that believes in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its constitutional commitments to those young people to reclaim their tino rangatiratanga, for rangatahi to reclaim their kaitiakitanga and to live as equal citizens in Aotearoa.
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa, nau mai haere mai. Welcome to you all today. I’d like to just acknowledge the significance of this occasion—181 years you’ve all been waiting for this day. So I have a huge amount of aroha for you all. It’s been great to witness and hear some of the speeches. And we need more of this in the House, don’t we? More occasions where we agree on things that need to be done. It’s great to be here and to acknowledge the passing at the third reading of this significant piece of legislation that isn’t a Treaty settlement, it is actually something a bit more unique than Treaty settlements. Having sat on the Māori Affairs Committee, I’ve been able to witness a number of Treaty settlements, and the kaupapa is very much like the one we have today, where there is a lot of emotion, wrongs that have tried to have been made right by the Crown or, in this case, by other organisations—but the kaupapa is trying to acknowledge the past and focus on the future. That is what this piece of legislation seeks to do. It is really a matter of upholding trust law and the laws of this House.
As a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, I had a brief moment to get in touch with this piece of legislation. I do wish to acknowledge the many submitters who made a submission, even if they didn’t support the bill. I do want to acknowledge the passion that the likes of Nick Smith and others had towards it. The committee simply—we did look at it very seriously, the issues that were raised around access, as has been traversed in the House, and we were satisfied with the arrangements that have been made. We were satisfied with Te Here ā Nuku Trust and the kaupapa that they have to be guardians for the land—their land, your land—and therefore, we did not make any significant changes.
I also wish to acknowledge the various advisers that we have—and I see Jason in the room—Te Puni Kōkiri, and the Parliamentary Counsel Office for their guidance as we were bringing ourselves up to speed with what is quite a complex matter. Minister Chris Bishop, when he referred this bill to the select committee, did say this is quite a unique piece of legislation, and it is quite complex. That is why he referred it to the Finance and Expenditure Committee to have the mana in order to look at this with seriousness.
I just want to, again, acknowledge those who have had a big role in bringing this piece of legislation to the House today: the Hon Judith Collins, good to see you again; Minister Bishop for taking the baton over and sticking with it to bring it through to the House; the negotiators, Matua Stafford, and all of those who have been a part of this significant piece of legislation. As my colleague Ryan Hamilton said, it is a change to focus on new beginnings. I’m an Aucklander—don’t hold it against me—but having visited the Abel Tasman and Nelson area, what a significant, beautiful part of Aotearoa New Zealand. My wife and I have spent Christmas and New Year in that part of the world, and it is, like has been described in the House, a beautiful part, full of the richness and diversity of New Zealand wildlife. It is a significant piece of land, and I know that going forward, you will be good guardians for that.
Without further ado, I commend this bill to the House—nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koutou katoa. It’s an enormous privilege to speak at the third reading of Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill.
When I first became an MP, I was a little bit horrified to find out that everything we say in this place is taken down word for word—a rather horrifying experience, because there are a lot of things that are said in this House that potentially shouldn’t stand the test of time. But this is one of those extraordinary days when acknowledgments should—and, in fact, they must. So, please, if I could, I’d like to join my colleagues from across the House in acknowledging Rore Stafford, the trustees, Johnny McGregor, Miriana Stephens, Barney Thomas, Missy Te Kanawa, Jamie Tuuta, Chief Executive Jeremy Banks, Paul Morgan, Kerensa Johnston, and the whānau and community of the descendants of the Nelson Tenths. We have a significant presence of you here today. Welcome to Parliament; welcome to your House.
I want to acknowledge the Attorney-General, the Hon Chris Bishop, the former Attorney-General, the Hon Judith Collins—my respect to both of you for the steps that you’ve taken and that your office has taken to contribute to us reaching here today. To the Hon Judith Collins, who may not have heard some of my previous comments: I referred to her tenacity as being part of the reason we are here and certainly for me as the shadow Attorney-General, with the settlements as we’ve seen it, I see her as a fine example of what an Attorney-General can do when justice is your anchor.
I also want to acknowledge Dame Patsy Reddy and David Tapsell for their role in negotiations; Crown Law, and in particular, Jason Gough; Te Puni Kōkiri’s Steven Sutton; Mark Hickford; Karen Feint KC; Stephen Hunter KC, and the many countless others who worked to get us to today.
I’ve had the honour of speaking in support of this bill in first reading, in second reading, and in the committee of the whole House. In those contributions, I spoke to some of the detail of the legal decision, its unusual nature, the principles borrowed from Canadian law, the creation of a right on the extinguishing of another, and, in some ways, the legal unicorn that this settlement represents. I’ve spoken about the submissions at select committee, the choices between urgency and certainty, and the fact that the technical legislative drafting is sound to ensure that this decades and decades and decades old dispute can at last be made just. I won’t speak to that detail today. I will, however, echo what I consider to be the most significant of what we know to be true: this is land that never changed ownership. It was, has, and will continue to belong to the beneficiaries of the trust.
I will instead speak of today. Earlier today, many of us had the privilege of attending the mihi whakatau for the trustees and descendants, and I wanted to touch on three things. Standing in the marae, we heard the manuhiri approaching, and it felt incredibly powerful. My children sometimes refer to the electricity that you feel run through you at significant moments, and the sense of significance is truly here today. Minister Bishop, when he spoke, talked about the House being still as we head into this third reading, and he was right; it has been still. There are times when quiet speaks to the gravity of legislation the House passes, and this time is one of those moments. I think about the history books and what this might signify the most—whether it’s the extraordinary story of resolution that will land or the weight of how much has had to pass to get here. I think it’s both—both—and history will reflect both.
That takes me to my second thought as I was sitting in Pipitea Marae and looking at the rows of those sitting in front of us who represented just a fraction of those who are beneficial owners of the land. I felt acutely aware of how much I didn’t know and how much I hadn’t seen—about the late-night conversations, the debate, the sacrifice, the things put off until later, the uncertainty, the waiting. For a moment, it felt like even that electric moment wasn’t enough.
My third reflection is on what comes next. It was special to see the young people of Te Tai Ihu at the marae earlier today and some in the gallery this afternoon. I had the privilege of briefly greeting Kingston, probably one of the youngest in the group, who I see is up in the gallery—kia ora. The story of the Tenths land is theirs to guide into the future. It’s special for them to see this House can be a place unified in the interests of justice. For them—especially ones as young as Kingston—I don’t know, but I suspect the lexicon of trust law matters not a lot. This is a matter settled as a matter of trust law, but can I acknowledge that its meaning is so, so much more. We speak of land as though it holds still—a parcel, a plot, a line drawn once meant to hold—but land remembers longer than any instrument we file: who walked it, who was buried in it, whose name was promised and then erased.
This bill may not generate the kind of headlines that dominate question time. It is, in large part, technical legislation. It’s not really conveyancing in the traditional sense. It’s not restoration but affirmation of ownership at a scale most of us will never personally encounter. It’s giving legal form to a resolution and a truth already agreed and known outside this Chamber—but its significance is not technical at all. It closes a 180-year chapter in which a promise made to the customary owners of Nelson was broken almost immediately, and in which generations waited for that wrong to be acknowledged and corrected. So, with that, it is time to move forward. I commend this bill to the House.
As the last member to stand to commend the bill to the House, I welcome, firstly, everybody in the gallery who travelled from near and far to listen to the third reading of Te Here ā Nuku (Nelson Tenths) Bill in the House. It is a very significant day, as we have heard from the members across parties, who respectfully honoured and spoke about the very long years awaited before us to witness the day today.
It is also a very proud moment for me as a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee (FEC), where we all heard from submitters. The members who spoke before me have mentioned why the bill was sent to the FEC instead of, for example—more conventionally—the Māori Affairs Committee, because of the weight and the uniqueness of this bill.
It is also a very special moment to welcome back the former Attorney-General, the Hon Judith Collins KC, to the House. It is a very special moment when we have someone so significant return to the House and to be sitting here all afternoon to listen to every single speech, but also to hear the very moving speech from the Attorney-General now, the Hon Minister Chris Bishop.
Of course, as we read through and try to remember the significant parts that were mentioned in this bill and, also, all the media coverage to date before today, it is a bill that every member of the select committee has supported unanimously to pass through and to make sure that the sooner that we can have Royal assent to make this a day that is all for you, about you—it’s not about anybody sitting in this House, but it is to recognise that transfer of the legal title and the relevant lands in Nelson, Tasman, and Golden Bay areas from the Crown back to the former trustee, to everyone sitting in this Parliament right now.
It is my honour, as the last speaker of the House, to commend the bill. I’m sure that you will make it the most memorable day and, together, we look forward to a better future for all New Zealanders going forward—but, most importantly, to everyone sitting in the gallery today. Thank you.
Motion agreed to.
Bill read a third time.
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): I now invite our guests to perform a waiata.
Waiata—“Ka Pioioi”
Haka
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